Centrifuge tube for ultra-violet analysis

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to a centrifuge tube formed from a transparent plastic and provided at its bottom with a penetratable membrane through which an optical fiber element is passed upon completion of centrifuging of the contents to enable visual observation of the effect of light, particularly ultraviolet light, on the contents, when compared with a standard or control, to detect the presence or absence of a predetermined type of foreign matter in the centrifuged contents of the tube. The optical fiber element may be formed from quartz or from such a material as a methyl methacrylate capable of transmitting ultra-violet light.

Bifi fid srz KR 397525146 SEARCH ROOM United Statw V [111 3,752,146 Kline SUBSTITUTE FOR MISSING XR [45] g- 1973 [54] CENTRIFUGE TUBE FOR ULTRA-VIOLET 3,525,803 8/1970 Smart 128/2 A ANALYSIS 3,570,662 3/1971 Polyak [28/232 [75] Inventor: William M. Kline, Gloversville, N.Y. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee, Medical Evaluation Devices & 1,112,715 5/1968 Great Britain 128/2 F Instruments Co G1 11 rp overs 6 Primary Examiner-Kyle L. Howell Attorney-Thomas E. Tate [22] Filed: Dec. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 207,192 ABSTRACT This invention is directed to a centrifuge tube formed 521 US. Cl. 128/2 A, 23/259 128/2 F a transparent Plastic and Pmvided at its 128 /2 with a penetratable membrane through which an opti- 511 1nt.Cl A61b 10/00 cal fiber element is Passed wmpletion centri- [58] Field 0: Search 128/2 F, 2 R 2 G fusing 0f the enable visual bservatin 128/2 Ay DIG. 5 275 27 23 259. 3 39 the effect Of light, particularly ultra-violet light, 011 the 51 2 4 contents, when compared with a standard or control, to detect the presence or absence of a predetermined type [56] References Cited of foreign matter in the centrifuged contents of the tube. The optical fiber element may be formed from UNITED STATES PATENTS quartz or from such a material as a methyl methacry- 3,712,295 1/1973 Kline 128/2 F late capable of transmitting ultrawiolet light 3,480,398 11/1969 Hamilton 23/259 X 3,327,! 19 6/1967 Kamentsky 128/2 A 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CENTRIFUGE TUBE FOR ULTRA-VIOLET ANALYSIS THE INVENTION This invention relates to new and useful improvements in laboratory equipment and particularly seeks to provide a novel molded centrifuge tube formed from that type of plastic that is transparent upon completion of molding so that the contents of the tube, during use thereof, may be subjected to ultra-violet light analysis without having to be transferred to a separate container or receiving slide.

This invention is an improvement over that disclosed and claimed in my copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 60,354, filed Aug. 3, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3712295, for Centrifuge Tube and also is an improvement over that disclosed and claimed in my continuation-in-part copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 207447 filed Dec. 13, 1971, for Multipurpose Centrifuge Tube.

In certain diagnostic procedures, such as the PAP test for cancer of the cervix, the area to be tested generally is irrigated with a pre-or post-dyed saline or other solution which is then withdrawn and centrifuged to separate the solids for subsequent reagent or other analysis. Such an analysis may include subjecting the dyed specimen solids to exposure to ultra-violet light to visually indicate the qualitative presence or absence of cytological and histo-chemical abnormalities in the specimen by color changes as compared to a control. Obviously the dyes are selected to be effective for the precise type of ultra-violet indication required. That is to say, one dye or a class of dyes may give an ultraviolet response to cancerous matter, for example, while another dye or class of dyes may give an ultra-violet response to another type of detectable matter in the specimen.

A centrifuge tube constructed in accordance with this invention enables such procedures to be greatly simplified in that the same tube may be used to collect the specimen, centrifuge the specimen and subject the specimen to ultra-violet light analysis without having to transfer any portion of the centrifuged specimen to a slide or other external receiver.

The effectiveness of the centrifuge tube of this invention stems from the fact that it is transparent and is pro vided at its bottom with a membrane closure that can be penetrated by a sharp ended optical fiber element that is capable of transmitting ultra-violet light from an external source into the bottom portion of the tube upon completion of centrifuging.

Such an optical fiber element may be formed from quartz or from any other material capable of transmitting ultra-violet light, such as a methyl methacrylate of the type commercially available from Imperial Chemical Industries under the Trademark DlAKON, or its equivalent.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a transparent centrifuge tube formed from asmooth, inert, flexible plastic having a memory, and having a syringe tip at its top and a sealed bottom that is penetrable by a sharp ended optical fiber element capable of transmitting ultra-violet light to the interior of said tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a centrifuge tube of the character stated in which the body is formed as a bellows-folded helix to direct the flow of solid particles to the bottom when centrifuged.

Another object of this invention is to provide a centrifuge tube of the character stated in which said optical fiber element is in the form of a double tipped hollow needle to enable said tube to be used as a positive acting syringe to discharge the concentrated solids for subsequent examination following completion of centrifuging and ultra-violet light analysis of the contents.

A further object of this invention is to provide a centrifuge tube of the character stated in which the sealed bottom is tapered by two diametrically opposed concave hollows that may serve as abutments for the positioning of the tube in a centrifuge and/or as abutments for the mechanical axial partial collapsing of the tube in subsequently used processing apparatus.

A further object of this invention is to provide a centrifuge tube of the character stated that is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects, the nature of which will be apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a centrifuge tube constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section of the bottom thereof showing the insertion of a sharp ended optical fiber element through the bottom for ultra-violet light analysis of the centrifuged contents; and

FIG. 3 is a detail elevation, partly in section, showing a modified form of optical fiber element to permit the tube to be used as a syringe for discharge of at least a portion of the contents.

Referring to the drawings in detail the invention, as illustrated, is embodied in a transparent centrifuge tube generally indicated 5 formed from an inert molded plastic such as a polyethylene, polypropylene or polyurethane having a memory and having the characteristic ,of transparency when molded into a finished object and includes a hollow body 6 formed as a helix, of say, four to l6 turns from top to bottom.

The bottom is tapered as at 7, 7 by two diametrically opposed concave hollows that may serve as abutments for positioning the tube in a centrifuge and/or as abutments for the mechanical axial partial collapsing of the tube to discharge a portion of its contents into subsequently used processing apparatus. The bottom is closed by a membrane 8 and the top is provided with an axially extending hollow tip or cannula Q that extends into open communication with the interior of the body 6 and is, of course, sufficiently long to reach that portion of a patients body cavity from which a specimen is to be collected. The tip 9 may be covered by a friction cap (not shown) or other suitable closure to maintain same sterile until use, it being understood that the interior of the body 6 is already sterile due to its exposure to heat above sterilizing temperatures during formation of the tube.

In preparation for use in diagnostic tests, such as the above mentioned PAP test, the body 6 is filled with an ultra-violet responsive dyed solution by immersing the tip 9 in a supply thereof and axially collapsing and releasing the body 6 to draw in a quantity of the solution by vacuum, after which the tip is closed.

At the point of use, the tip is uncovered and inserted into the proper body cavity which becomes irrigated as the result of using the body 6 as a positive and negative acting syringe, thus collecting the required specimen for examination. After the specimen has been collected the tube and its contents are transferred to a centrifuge where the solids are concentrated adjacent the bottom 8. The helices of the body 6 expedite the flow of solids toward the bottom during centrifuging or vortex mixing, thus assuring proper concentration of the solids in a substantially uniform distribution.

At this stage, ultra-violet light analysis of the concentrated solids may be readily effected without having to discharge any part thereof onto a slide or other receiver, simply by piercing the bottom membrane 8 with a sharp ended fibergpiic element or rod 10, capable of transmitting ultra-violetli'ght, so that its inner end is contained within the concentrated solids in the bottom of the tube and its outer end is exposed for operable connection to an external source of ultra-violet light which is transmitted to the solids via the rod 10. The transparency of the tube makes it readily possible to observe any ultraviolet effect on the contents of the tube and to visually compare that effect with an ultraviolet control or standard to determine, qualitatively, the presence or absence of cytological or histochemical abnormalities in the specimen.

lf further testing of the concentrated solids is required beyond that obtained by ultra-violet light analysis as described above, the solid fiber optic element 10 would be replaced by a hollow double-ended needle element 11 (see FIG. 3) so that the centrifuge tube also could be used as a positive acting syringe to discharge a portion of the specimen onto a slide or other receiver as an incident to such further testing.

It is of course to be understood that variations in arrangements, changes in materials and proportions of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim;

1. A molded centrifuge tube formed from that type of plastic that is transparent upon completion of mold ing and including; a hollow body shaped as a bellowsfolded helix, said body having a bottom closure provided with a needle-penetrable membrane and having a top provided with an axially extending hollow tip in open communication with the interior of said body, and an optical fiber element passing through said penetrable membrane with its inner end extending into the lower interior portion of said body and its outer end extending outwardly beyond said membrane for operable connection with an external source of light for transmission of said light into the interior of said body.

2. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which said body is formed from a plastic having a memory whereby to return to its normal configuration after having been physically distorted therefrom.

3. The centrifuge tube of claim 2 in which said plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyurethane.

4. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which the bottom of said body is tapered by two diametrically opposed concave hollows that define abutments for properly positioning said tube during centrifuging or other mechanical operations.

5. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which said optical fiber element is made from a material capable of transmitting ultra-violet light.

6. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which the material for said optical fiber element is selected from the group consisting of quartz, and a methyl methacrylate capable of transmitting ultra-violet light.

7. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which said optical fiber element is solid.

8. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which said optical fiber element is in the form of a hollow needle. 

1. A molded centrifuge tube formed from that type of plastic that is transparent upon completion of molding and including; a hollow body shaped as a bellows-folded helix, said body having a bottom closure provided with a needle-penetrable membrane and having a top provided with an axially extending hollow tip in open communication with the interior of said body, and an optical fiber element passing through said penetrable membrane with its inner end extending into the lower interior portion of said body and its outer end extending outwardly beyond said membrane for operable connection with an external source of light for transmission of said light into the interior of said body.
 2. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which said body is formed from a plastic having a memory whereby to return to its normal configuration after having been physically distorted therefrom.
 3. The centrifuge tube of claim 2 in which said plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyurethane.
 4. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which the bottom of said body is tapered by two diametrically opposed concave hollows that define abutments for properly positioning said tube during centrifuging or other mechanical operations.
 5. The centrifuge tube of claim 1 in which said optical fiber element is made from a material capable of transmitting ultra-violet light.
 6. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which the material for said optical fiber element is selected from the group consisting of quartz, and a methyl methacrylate capable of transmitting ultra-violet light.
 7. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which said optical fiber element is solid.
 8. The centrifuge tube of claim 5 in which said optical fiber element is in the form of a hollow needle. 